Folding beds



y 1955 w. A. WILKINSON, JR 2,708,755

FOLDING BEDS Filed June 7, 1952 2 sheets-sheet 1 Ava me. E 2 Mil 1M1. Mum ma J4,

Ay fax/e May 24, 1955 w. A. WILKINSON. JR 2,708,755

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' i m t United States Patent" FOLDING BEDS William A. Wilkinson, Jr., Glendale, Calif.; Herberta B.

Wilkinson, administratlix of said William A. Wilkinson, Jr., deceased Application June 7, 1952, Serial No. 292,247

4 Claims. (Cl. -8)

This invention relates to folding beds, and particularly to folding bed constructions in which two or more bunks or folding beds may be arranged one above the other in a folding bed arrangement.

One object of the invention is to provide a folding bed construction consisting of two or more beds having a spring balancing arrangement which permits the folding of the bed structure with the least amount of effort. Another object of the invention is to provide a foldingbed construction in which two or more beds may be folded and confined in the least possible amount of space without the need of wall or other lateral fixed support. Another object of the invention is to provide a folding-bed construction in which a plurality of beds requires merely a single spring balancing arrangement to permit the raising and lowering of the beds with the least amount of effort. Another object of the invention is to provide a folding bed construction consisting of two or more beds using a parallelogram arrangement of support and tension spring means in such a manner as to lock the beds in place when in the folded position as a safety measure.

These and other objects are attained by my invention which will be understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred form of my invention in the lowered position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of my invention in the raised position with parts broken away showing the internal arrangement of the tension means;

- Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing my invention in the raised position and an outline view in an intermediate position;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view showing my construction' in the lowered position;

Figure Sis a cross-sectional view of a portion of my spring arrangement in the lowered position of my invention;

v Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of my spring arrangement in the raised position of my invention; 1

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of a portion of my spring arrangement in the raised position of my construction.

Referring to'the drawings, my folding bed construction designed in its preferred embodiment for two folding beds comprises a pair of vertically disposed stationary posts 10, 10, spaced a predetermined distance apart. Each of said stationary posts carries at its upper portion a bracket-like extension 11, 11, and near its lower end it forms a bracket-like cutout 12, 12, on each of which extension and cutout, respectively, are pivotally mounted one long side of the tubular portion of one substantially rectangularly shaped bed frame 16, 16, respectively. Each stationary post 10, is mounted to the floor by means of an angle iron 14, 14, and a plurality of bolts 15, 15.

Each bed frame 16, comprises a tubular, substantially rectangularly shaped structure in which is suspended a wire mesh fabric 17, 17, carrying a mattress 18, 18, and a pillow 19, 19.

2,708,755 Patented May 24, 1955 The other long side of the tubular portion of each sub stantially rectangularly shaped bed frame is supported pivotally by a pair of vertically disposed uprights 26, 20, spaced a predetermined distance apart and in vertical alignment with the stationary posts 10, 10, as hereinbefore described.

A pair of spacer bars 21, 21, are rigidly afiixed between the uprights in substantially horizontal position. A ladder like construction 22, 22, is disposed vertically between said spacer bars 21, 21, and anchored thereto and is further aflixed to one of the uprights 20.

A guard 23, may be mounted detachably upon one of the spacer bars 21, where needed. A pillow guard 24, is provided at the head end of each bed frame 16, and comprises a stationary bottom portion 25, rigidly affixed to the tubular structure of the bed frame 16, and a movable top portion 26, alfixed to each bottom portion 25, either by way of hinges or pivotal arrangement, and a tension spring 27 afiixed to the side of the pillow guard and positioned between two brackets 28, 28, extending laterally from the stationary bottom portion 25, and the movable top portion 26 respectively, holding the movable top portion in position against the mattress when the beds are in the folded position.

The pivotal attachment of the upper tubular bed frame 16, to the stationary post 10, and particularly to the bracket-like extension 11, thereof, is accomplished by a groove 29, cut in the extension 11, in which groove the tubular portion of the bed frame 16, rests, and a clamp 30, attached to the outer edge of the extension 11, and passing over the tubular portion of the bed frame 16, holding the same in rotatable position on said extension 11 and in said groove 29.

The pivotal attachment of the lower tubular bed frame 16, to the stationary post 10, and particularly to the bracket-like cutout 12, thereof, is accomplished by a groove 31, positioned near the outside edge of the cutout 12, in which groove the tubular portion of the lower bed frame 16, rests.

The tubular portion of each bed frame 16, 16, is piv otally attached to each upright 20, 20, by resting against a grooved block 32, 32, attached to each upright 20, 20, and by being held in rotatable position against said block by a clamp 33, 33, attached to each upright and forming with said grooved block a circular bearing surface.

Adjacent to each of the stationary posts 10, 10, and in the vicinity of the points of pivotal suspension of the tubularportion of the lower bed frame 16, an angle iron 34, 34, is attached to said tubular portion of the lower bed frame 16, by means of bolts 35, 35, extending through one leg of said angle iron and through said tubular portion of the lower bed frame. Attached to the floor and immediately below each angle iron 34, 34, and in spaced relation thereto, is a flat bar 36, 36, having upturned ends, and a rod 37, 37, traversing said ends at a predetermined distance from the floor. A plurality of tension springs 38, 38, are suspended between the free leg of each angle iron and each of said rods in spaced relation to each other.

A cover 39, extends from each stationary post 10, and and in front of each angle iron and covers the tension spring arrangement.

In operation, the folding bed arrangement may be raised by lifting the uprights from the floor, and until the bed frames assume a substantially vertical position. The tension springs which were in the extended position and were being extended to a point behind and above the tubular portion of the lower bed frame, when the beds are in a lower position, will close when the beds are folded. From their vertical position the beds may be returned to their horizontal or lower position by a slight pull of the uprights in the upper pivotal attachment to the lower bed. The tension of the springs is adjusted in such a manner as to bring the beds to rest at any intermediate position between the horizontal and vertical plane when the pull ceases. A pull at the upper space bar or any other portion of the upper bed frame will cause the uprights to bind against the lower bed frame by reason of their parallelogram arrangement hereinabove described and by reason of the vertical arrangement of the tension springs. If the upper space bar, the upper bed, or the upper portion of the uprights is pulled outwardly from the folded position or if rolling or swaying of the supporting floor causes the upper bed to exert a horizontal force outwardly towards the unfolded position, the uprights, 20, 20, will pivot about the points of pivotal attachment, 40, 40, to the upper long side of the lower bed frame by rotating inwardly and the lower ends, 41, 41, of the uprights will bind against the wire mesh fabric, 17, of the lower bed frame. The lower bed frame will be held in vertical position by co-action of the tension springs, 38, 38, thereby permitting the limited rotation of the uprights and thereby preventing the unfoldingof the beds.

The advantages of my arrangement are among others the simplicity and facility of safe operation, the requirement of only one tension spring arrangement for the lower bed frame regardless of the number of folding beds mounted one above the other, and the safety feature embodied in my construction, as hereinabove described.

While specific forms of my invention have been described, it is understood that the same may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in folding beds of two substantially rectangular bed frames one disposed above the other; posts affixed to the floor and pivotally attached to one long side of each rectangular bed frame, and uprights pivotally attached to the other long side of each rectangular bed frame at a point opposite to their attachment to the posts and a predetermined distance from the short sides of the bed frames, so as to form a parallelogram construction between the posts, the uprights and the short sides of the bed frames and to align all points of pivotal attachment in the same vertical plane when the beds are in the closed position; a bracket affixed to the lowest of said bed frames and extending substantially horizontally away from it and toward the posts when the beds are in the open position; a rod afiixed to the floor in spaced relation to the lowest of said bed frames and positioned vertically below the point of attachment of said bracket to the frame; and tension spring means connected substantially vertically between the extension of said bracket and the rod and expanding in substantially a vertical direction during the opening operation.

2. In folding beds of the class described, a plurality of posts affixed to the fioor having a bracket-like extension at the free end thereof and a bracket-like cutout near the floor, a plurality of folding beds one disposed above the other having substantially rectangular bed frames pivotally attached to said posts, a plurality of uprights pivotally attached to said bed frames at a point opposite to their attachment to the posts and a predetermined distance from each end of the folding beds and extending from a point above the topmost folding bed to the floor when the beds are in the open position so as to align all points of pivotal attachment in the same vertical plane when the beds are in the closed position, a plurality of spacer bars attached between and to said uprights, and spring means connected between the floor and the lowest of said bed frames, said spring means comprising a bracket afiixed to the lowest of said bed frames and extending substantially horizontally away from it and towards the posts when the beds are in the open position, a rod amxed to the floor in spaced relation to the lowest of said bed frames and positioned vertically below the point of attachment of said bracket to the frame, and tension spring means connected substantially vertically between and to the extension of said bracket and said rod and expanding in substantially a vertical direction during the opening operation.

3. In folding beds of the self-locking type the combination of two bed frames one disposed above the other, posts affixed to the floor and pivotally attached to one long side of each frame, uprights pivotally attached to the opposite long side of each frame at a point opposite to their attachment to the posts so as to align all points of pivotal attachment in the same vertical plane when the beds are in the folded position, and tension spring means affixed substantially vertically between the floor and a point positioned between the posts and the lowest portion of the lower bed frame and expanding substantially vertically during the unfolding operation so as to counteract any horizontal force applied to the upper bed or the upper portion of the uprights only in the direction of unfolding and to prevent in co-action with the binding of the lower portion of the uprights against the lower bed frame the unfolding of the beds.

4. In folding beds of the self-locking type, the combination of two bed frames one disposed above the other, posts affixed to the floor and pivotally attached to one long side of each frame, uprights pivotally attached to the opposite long side of each frame at a point opposite to their attachment to the posts so as to align all points of pivotal attachment in the same vertical plane when the beds are in the folded position, and tension spring means aligned substantially vertically with said points of pivotal attachment in said vertical plane and substantially vertically affixed between the floor and a point positioned between the posts and the lowest portion of the lower bed frame so as to expand substantially vertically when counteracting in co-action with the binding force of the lower portion of the uprights against the lower bed frame any horizontal force applied to the upper bed frame or upper portion of the uprights only.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Sept. 15, 1902 

